Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POC1021: Key Concepts in Politics and International Relations

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Please note that this module is only delivered on the Penryn Campus.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some of the following topics or readings:

  • IR as a field of knowledge: IR Myths, voice and place and the subject/object divide
  • Classic and (Neo)Realist Approaches: “is international anarchy the permissive cause of war?”
  • Liberalism/Idealism: “is there an international society?”
  • Constructivism: is anarchy “what states make of it?”
  • Globalization: are we “at the end of history?”
  • Institutionalism and Liberal World Order

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
27.5122.50

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activity16.511 x 1.5hr lectures
Scheduled Learning & Teaching Activity1111 x 1hr seminars
Guided Independent Study66Private study – students are expected to read suggested texts and make notes prior to seminar sessions. They are also expected to read widely to complete their coursework assignments. More specifically, students are expected to devote at least 6 hours per topic/week to directed reading.
Guided Independent Study56.5completing assessment tasks

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).